Trips and Activities

The Little Train

The little train, as you might expect, is a small train that drives on the road and takes us all over Lourdes.

We get to see the places that Bernadette grew up, we go past a museum about Lourdes, and go right up to the top of the hill, which would be much too far to walk!! We wave to everyone as we go around, and usually sing songs too!

Regional Mass

For this celebration we join together with all the other groups in the Met Deep South Region, who come from Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex. We all do our best to show how great our group is by singing and dancing, and it is good to meet up with people from back home, who sometimes don’t live to far away from us.
After the Mass we play “Mini-Olympics” on the meadow, with help from one of the sixth form groups who come to Lourdes to help the family groups and this is another great opportunity to make friends.

Trust Mass

This is the highlight of the week for many people! All 5000 or so pilgrims who have come to Lourdes with HCPT gather in the underground Basilica for a service like no other: it feels more like a party, or even a football match!
We all wear our group clothes, and some of us have our faces painted, and there is general joy in the air. It is fantastic to see so many people who have given up their time and energy, and how much the children benefit from it. We have a lot to say thank you for!

Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross tell the story of the last week or so of Jesus’ life, and how he came to die and rise again for us. We are very lucky that we go to Lourdes in Easter week, so the story is even more relevant than ever, and there are some amazing marble sculptures showing the pictures of the story.
We spend some time one morning going around the stations, taking turns to do a short reading or a prayer, and singing quiet songs as we remember, or learn about the story for the first time.

Easter Challenge

Towards the end of the week, when we have got to know Lourdes well, we do our Easter challenge. This involves us taking photos of ourselves at certain places, and with specific groups or people. It is great fun and we need to use the children’s memories and imaginations to get the best shots possible!

The Zoo

We visit the Zoo D’Asson, which is an excellent zoo with good access for wheelchairs and provided the weather is good we can get very close to some of the animals! There are lots of pretty birds, some monkeys, wolves, a tiger and many other animals, which give us some great photos opportunities and memories to treasure.

St Savin: Mass in the Mountains

St Savin is a small town up in the mountains on the way to Gavarnie, the source of the river Gave, which runs through Lourdes. We have Mass there in one of the oldest (and possibly coldest!) churches in France, along with a few other groups who have become friends over the years. There are some amazing mountain views which provide a backdrop for a quick group photo too!

Group Photo

One day whilst we are in Lourdes we arrange for a professional photographer to take a photo of the whole group in front of the main basilica, all decked out in our finest blue!! Every group member then gets a copy of this photo to take home as a memento of their holiday and all the friends they made.

Pirate Night

One evening before dinner, Group 170 turn into pirates of the most devious kind! We have dinner in our costumes and then sing some pirate songs and play some pirate games! Before bed and night prayer we read a story about pirates too, but in the morning we have turned back into our usual mild-mannered selves…

Talent Show

One evening we all take it in turns to dazzle each other with our amazing talents, and before you protest that you don’t have any, stop! We KNOW you all have lots of talents, we’ve been seeing them all week!! It is an excellent chance to celebrate what we are all best at, making people smile!!

Party Night

On our last night, we all get ready in our finest clothes, and dine like kings in the restaurant. After dinner we play a few games, and then present awards to anyone who has made a particularly special achievement.
It is often quite a sad night too, as although we will see our families again tomorrow, we know that our holiday is nearly over, and we are going to have to say goodbye to all our new friends, at least until the reunion!